¹ How long, Lord? Will you forget me for ever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
² How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
    and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
    How long will my enemy triumph over me?
³ Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
    Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,

⁴ my enemy will say, ‘I have overcome him,’
    and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
⁵ But I trust in your unfailing love;
    my heart rejoices in your salvation.
⁶ I will sing the Lord’s praise,
    for he has been good to me.
(NIV)

Psalm 13:- The cry ‘How long’ is a similar feature of both individual and communal laments(in Ps 6,74,79,80,90,94) it is also found in Babylonian prayers similar to prayer to Ishtar. The psalmist seems to be ill, v3 Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, the main concern he feels abandoned by God. Suddenly his past experiences seems to pull him through. It has been suggested that a Prophet, or his outpouring’s have given him hope and he has cause to thank God for all He has done.

Perhaps this is something for us to remember when we feel that we have been abandon by God, is to think of all that God has done for us, and we may feel lifted. Times when I felt the world was against me, God has sent friends around to cheer me up or a letter from a friend comes in the post and they have given me faith that things will change and get better.

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